


A Post-Mission Tradition

by velvetjinx



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, M/M, MCU kink bingo 2017, Platonic Cuddling, World War II, cuddle piles
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-15
Updated: 2018-02-15
Packaged: 2019-03-19 00:38:18
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 720
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13693221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/velvetjinx/pseuds/velvetjinx
Summary: The Howling Commandos have their own little post-mission tradition.





	A Post-Mission Tradition

**Author's Note:**

> The MCU Kink Bingo mods said I could TOTALLY have platonic cuddling count as a kink so here you go.
> 
> Written for square 3 of my bingo card.

_1945_

It had become a thing that they did. After their first mission as the Howling Commandos, Gabe had been sitting on the floor of their tent, snuggling his pillow, his blanket wrapped around him. Monty had seen him and, understanding, nodded to him. “Mind if I join you?” he’d asked, and Gabe had looked surprised, but nodded. 

It wasn’t long before they were joined by Jim, Jacques, Happy Sam, Junior, Pinky, and Dum Dum, in that order, all dragging pillows and blankets off of their camp beds and curling up together. 

It was a few missions in before Bucky and Cap joined them. The team understood—those boys had a lot of catching up to do, and none of them judged them for any of it. Not even the occasional quiet moan that occasionally reached the Howlies’ tent from theirs. It maybe wasn’t something that any of them were into, but those boys loved each other a lot and they’d been through hell. None of the Howlies grudged them their time together after a mission.

This time, though, Bucky and Cap wandered in just as Junior was getting comfortable, head on Dum Dum’s lap. Bucky’s eyes widened and he raised his eyebrows. 

“Comfortable, guys?”

Monty shrugged. “Helps us unwind after a mission, Sarge,” he said easily.

Bucky and Cap exchanged a glance. “Mind if we join you?” Cap asked softly.

Jim looked delighted. “Be our guests,” he said, gesturing to the pile of comfortable bodies.

Cap sat next to Monty, shifting so their sides were pressed together, and Bucky settled between Cap’s legs, leaning back against him. Cap wrapped his arms around Bucky and lay his head on Monty’s shoulder. 

“I can see why you do this, guys,” Cap said quietly. 

“Yeah,” Bucky added. “It’s nice. Comfortable.”

“So do you think you’ll join us again?” Pinky asked.

Both Cap and Bucky smiled. “Yeah, I think we might,” Cap replied. 

So they did. They always sat together, but with the others too. They started bringing in the pillows and blankets from their own tent each time, wrapping themselves up and cuddling in. 

No one else knew about their tradition. Well. Monty suspected that Peggy knew all about it, but she was keeping quiet which was good. Howard probably had an idea too—that guy knew everything. Or seemed to, anyway. 

After the mission to capture Zola, everything changed.

They all mourned Bucky, but Cap—Cap just retreated into himself. He wouldn’t join them that evening. Just sat drinking alone in the ruined bar. Peggy went in to talk to him, but came out shaking her head. 

Jim sighed. “I’ll go talk to him.”

“I’ll come with you,” Monty said quickly, and together the two men found Cap, sitting at one of the tables, eyes red and puffy. 

“Come on, Cap,” Jim said softly. “Come join us.”

“I can’t,” Cap whispered. “I can’t be there without… without him.”

“Maybe it’ll help,” Monty told him. “Maybe you’ll realize you’re not alone in this.”

Cap looked up at them, and the pain in his gaze nearly made them recoil. 

“You come with us, Cap,” Jim said. “You come with us, and then we go out one last time and end this.”

Cap nodded. “Okay. One last time.”

Jim and Monty supported Cap between them as they walked towards the tent, as if he would fall if they didn’t. Monty believed he might. But if they could just get through this one last mission, maybe it would all turn out alright.

_2018_

Steve had been on a particularly exacting mission, and it had really taken it out of him. When he got back to his apartment, however, he found Bucky, sitting on the living room floor against the sofa, blankets and cushions piled around.

“You remember how we used to do this with the Howlies after every mission?” Bucky asked, eyes bright.

Steve nodded. “I remember.”

He sat next to Bucky, and Bucky handed him a glass of scotch. “To the Howlies,” Bucky said, and they clinked their glasses together before drinking deep. 

Steve remembered how they had comforted him when he thought Bucky had died, and how supportive they had been the whole time. Wherever they were, whatever the afterlife would bring, Steve knew they’d be okay. 

After all, they were his Howlies.


End file.
